Method and apparatus for intraoperative nerve visualization using polarized diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and applications of same

ABSTRACT

An apparatus or handheld probe for intraoperative nerve identification and/or visualization of a target of interest of a living subject includes a light source for emitting a beam of light to illuminate a target of interest; a light delivering means for delivering the beam of light emitted from the light source onto the target of interest so as to illuminate the target of interest therewith; and an imaging head positioned over the target of interest for acquiring polarized diffuse reflectance spectral images of light from the illuminated target of interest responsive to the illumination, for identifying and/or visualizing one or more nerves in the target of interest.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 62/835,562, filed Apr. 18, 2019, which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to optical assessments of bio-objects,and more particularly, to method and apparatus for intraoperative nervevisualization using polarized diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, andapplications of the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The background description provided herein is for the purpose ofgenerally presenting the context of the invention. The subject matterdiscussed in the background of the invention section should not beassumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in thebackground of the invention section. Similarly, a problem mentioned inthe background of the invention section or associated with the subjectmatter of the background of the invention section should not be assumedto have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matterin the background of the invention section merely represents differentapproaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions. Work ofthe presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in thebackground of the invention section, as well as aspects of thedescription that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time offiling, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior artagainst the invention.

While the central nervous system (CNS) integrates, processes, andcoordinates the overall function and activity of the body, theperipheral nervous system (PNS) serves as a highway for the electricalsignaling to and from the CNS and the rest of the body. This makes thePNS vital to not only sensation, but also maintaining homeostasis andautonomic functions. In surgery, the preservation of peripheral nervesand their functionality is therefore of the utmost importance.Unfortunately, stretch and crush injuries are not uncommon especiallyduring resections and biopsies. In some cases, these surgeries have astaggering incidence of iatrogenic nerve damage. Two years following aradical prostatectomy nearly 60% of men were impotent as a result ofdamaged cavernous nerves. Even in surgeries where the risk of neuraldamage is minimal like acoustic neuroma removal (<1%), spinal scoliosissurgery (<0.6%), and thyroidectomies (<2%), nerve damage can be severeleading to deafness, paraplegia, and even death respectively. Nervedamage is also a common source of medicolegal litigations withcompensation being awarded in 82% of cases of spinal accessory nerveinjury. For many surgeries, the major factor responsible for loweringthe incidence of neural morbidity has been intraoperative neuralmonitoring (INOM). IONM seeks to preserve nerve function and integritythrough monitoring neural activity during surgical procedures. This isprimarily achieved through electrical stimulation andelectrophysiological recordings which are used to both locate nerves andmonitor neural viability. By assessing neural functionality throughout asurgical procedure, the risk of iatrogenic damage is greatly reduced andappropriate measures can be taken if the nerve is damaged. There are,however, innate limitations to INOM. During most nerve sparingprocedures, nerves are only intermittently monitored which increases thelikelihood of nerve damage in between electrical stimulation events.Thus, immediate corrective action to avoid injury is impossible, andinjuries can only be addressed after the fact. Recently, continuous IONMhas been employed in thyroidectomies but can yield unreliable EMGsignals due to inadvertent electrode dislocation. Moreover, since manyINOM techniques involve measuring muscle related phenomena, sensoryfibers are unable to be identified and monitored. In a systematicreview, nerve stimulation alone failed to localize 20% of peripheralnerves.

Subsequently, a wide variety of methods have been used forintraoperative nerve visualization. Among these are ultrasonography,fluorescence imaging, polarization imaging, and optical coherencetomography (OCT). Each modality, however, has its advantages and shortcomings. While ultrasonography is real-time, cost-effective, and widelyaccepted across the medical field, it tends to lack the spatialresolution to visualize smaller nerve branches (<2 mm). Fluorescentimaging improves the resolution and overall contrast between tissues,but it relies on the systemic injection of a fluorescent peptide tag.Moreover, fluorescent tags can be toxic and/or elicit allergic reactionsand additionally require FDA approval to be used in clinical trials.Polarization imaging maintains the high spatial resolution of opticaltechniques but is highly dependent on the orientation of nerve fiberswith respect to the polarizers and lacks the contrast of fluorescentimaging. Hence, the efficacy of polarization imaging relies on imagingat the right orientation. Lastly, OCT provides high spatial and temporalresolution 3D reconstructions of imaged tissues. OCT, however, islimited by its imaging depth, intensive image processing, and a smallfield of view on the order of square millimeters.

Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the art to addressthe aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One of the objectives of the invention is to provide a polarized diffusereflectance spectroscopy (DRS) for intraoperative nerve identificationand/or visualization and applications of the same.

In one aspect, the invention relates to an apparatus for intraoperativenerve identification and/or visualization of a target of interest of aliving subject. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a light sourcefor emitting a beam of light to illuminate a target of interest; a lightdelivering means for delivering the beam of light emitted from the lightsource onto the target of interest so as to illuminate the target ofinterest therewith; and an imaging head positioned over the target ofinterest for acquiring polarized DRS images of light from theilluminated target of interest responsive to the illumination, foridentifying and/or visualizing one or more nerves in the target ofinterest.

In one embodiment, the light source is a broadband light source foremitting the beam of light in a wavelength range of about 100-1200 nm.

In one embodiment, the beam of light emitted from the light source ispolarized either inherently or through polarizers with variable axes oftransmission delivered to the target of interest.

In one embodiment, the light delivering means comprises one or morefibers and is configured such that light delivered onto the target ofinterest from at least one of the one or more fibers is unpolarizedlight; or light delivered onto the target of interest from at least oneof the one or more fibers is polarized light having fixed and/orvariable polarizations; or light delivered onto the target of interestfrom one of the one or more fibers is unpolarized light and lightdelivered onto the target of interest from the others of the one or morefibers is polarized light having fixed and/or variable polarizations.

In one embodiment, the light delivering means comprises one or morelenses configured to deliver the beam of light emitted from the lightsource onto the target of interest.

In one embodiment, the light delivering means further comprises one ormore wave plates configured to polarize the beam of light emitted fromthe light source as polarized light having fixed and/or variablepolarizations.

In one embodiment, the imaging head comprises a detector disposed in atop portion of the image head for acquiring the DRS images; a tunablefilter positioned in a bottom portion of the image head in an opticalpath for collecting light from the illuminated target of interest; and alens positioned between the tunable filter and the detector in theoptical path for focusing the collected light to the detector.

In one embodiment, the detector comprises at least one camera. In oneembodiment, the at least one camera comprises at least onecharge-coupled device (CCD) camera, at least one complementary metaloxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera, at least one photosensor array, or acombination thereof In one embodiment, the at least one camera comprisesat least one infrared camera and/or at least one near-infrared (NIR)camera.

In one embodiment, the tunable filter is an optical filter that useselectronically controlled LC elements to transmit a selectablewavelength of light and exclude others, with fixed and/or variablepolarizations. In one embodiment, the LC elements comprise switchable LCwave plates.

In one embodiment, the tunable filter comprises variable spectralbandpass filters, variable polarization filters, or a combinationthereof.

In one embodiment, the tunable filter is a spatial grating or otherdispersion based optical component that spatially spreads the detectedlight into continuous wavelength bands for detection by one or moredetectors, or a linear detector array, or a two-dimensional (2D)detector array.

In one embodiment, the lens is an adjustable focus lens.

In one embodiment, the light source is operably modulated by a lock-inscheme or a transistor-transistor logic (TTL) trigger for providing atrigger to sequence and/or initiate data collection for enablingoperations of the detector in normal and/or external lighting conditionsincluding room lights.

In one embodiment, the imaging head further comprises one or more lensespositioned between the target of the interest and the tunable filter forfocusing the light from the illuminated target of interest to thetunable filter.

In one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a controllerconfigured to coordinately operate the light delivering means to deliverthe beam of light onto the target of interest and the image head toacquire the DRS images of the light from the illuminated target ofinterest, to receive the acquired images from the detector, and toprocess the acquired images to identify and visualize nerve in thetarget of interest.

In one embodiment, the controller is further configured to provide,based on the processed images, an aural or tactile nerve proximityindication that allows a surgeon to spatially and manually interrogatelocations prior to and/or during execution of tissue surgicalmanipulations.

In one embodiment, the controller is further configured to providevisual, aural and/or tactile feedbacks including vibration and/orbuzzing alerts.

In one embodiment, the apparatus also has a display for displaying theprocessed images and/or means for projecting the processed images ontothe intraoperative field of view.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a probe for intraoperativenerve identification and/or visualization of a target of interest of aliving subject. In one embodiment, the probe comprises a lightdelivering means coupled with a light source for delivering a beam oflight emitted from the light source onto a target of interest so as toilluminate the target of interest therewith; a light collecting meanspositioned over the target of interest for collecting light from theilluminated target of interest responsive to the illumination; and animaging means positioned over the target of interest coupled with thelight collecting means for acquiring polarized DRS images of light fromthe illuminated target of interest responsive to the illumination, foridentifying and/or visualizing one or more nerves in the target ofinterest.

In one embodiment, the light source is a built-in broadband light sourceor an external broadband light source for emitting the beam of light ina wavelength range of about 100-1200 nm.

In one embodiment, the beam of light emitted from the light source ispolarized either inherently or through polarizers with variable axes oftransmission delivered to the target of interest.

In one embodiment, the light delivering means comprises one or morefibers and is configured such that light delivered onto the target ofinterest from at least one of the one or more fibers is unpolarizedlight; or light delivered onto the target of interest from at least oneof the one or more fibers is polarized light having fixed and/orvariable polarizations; or light delivered onto the target of interestfrom one of the one or more fibers is unpolarized light and lightdelivered onto the target of interest from the others of the one or morefibers is polarized light having fixed and/or variable polarizations.

In one embodiment, the light delivering means comprises one or morelenses configured to deliver the beam of light emitted from the lightsource onto the target of interest.

In one embodiment, the light delivering means further comprises one ormore wave plates configured to polarize the beam of light emitted fromthe light source in polarized light having fixed and/or variablepolarizations.

In one embodiment, the light collecting means comprises a tunable filterfor collecting light from the illuminated target of interest; and a lenspositioned for focusing the collected light to the imaging means.

In one embodiment, the tunable filter is an optical filter that useselectronically controlled LC elements to transmit a selectablewavelength of light and exclude others, with fixed and/or variablepolarizations. In one embodiment, the LC elements comprise switchable LCwave plates.

In one embodiment, the tunable filter comprises variable spectralbandpass filters, variable polarization filters, or a combinationthereof.

In one embodiment, the lens is an adjustable focus lens.

In one embodiment, the light source is operably modulated by a lock-inscheme or a TTL trigger for providing a trigger to sequence and/orinitiate data collection for enabling operations of the detector innormal and/or external lighting conditions including room lights.

In one embodiment, the light collecting means further comprises one ormore lenses positioned between the target of the interest and thetunable filter for focusing the light from the illuminated target ofinterest to the tunable filter.

In one embodiment, the light collecting means further comprises one ormore fibers each having one end coupled to the tunable filter and anopposite, working end operably positioned proximate to the target ofinterest to collect the light from the illuminated target of interest tothe tunable filter.

In one embodiment, the imaging means comprises a detector acquiring theDRS images.

In one embodiment, the detector comprises at least one camera.

In one embodiment, the at least one camera comprises at least one CCDcamera, at least one CMOS camera, at least one photosensor array, or acombination thereof. In one embodiment, the at least one cameracomprises at least one infrared camera and/or at least one NIR camera.

In one embodiment, the probe also has a controller configured tocoordinately operate the light delivering means to deliver the beam oflight onto the target of interest, the light collecting means to collectthe light from the illuminated target of interest, and the imaging meansto acquire the DRS images of the light from the illuminated target ofinterest, to receive the acquired images from the detector imagingmeans, and to process the acquired images to identify and visualizenerve in the target of interest.

In one embodiment, the controller is further configured to provide,based on the processed images, an aural or tactile nerve proximityindication that allows a surgeon to spatially and manually interrogatelocations prior to and/or during execution of tissue surgicalmanipulations.

In one embodiment, the controller is further configured to providevisual, aural and/or tactile feedbacks including vibration and/orbuzzing alerts.

In one embodiment, the probe further comprises a display for displayingthe processed images and/or means for projecting the processed imagesonto the intraoperative field of view.

In one embodiment, the probe is a handheld probe.

In yet another aspect, the invention relates to a method forintraoperative nerve identification and/or visualization of a target ofinterest of a living subject. In one embodiment, the method includedelivering a beam of light onto a target of interest so as to illuminatethe target of interest therewith; acquiring polarized DRS images oflight from the illuminated target of interest responsive to theillumination; and processing the acquired DRS images to identify andvisualize nerve in the target of interest.

In one embodiment, the beam of light delivered onto the target ofinterest is in a wavelength range of about 100-1200 nm.

In one embodiment, the beam of light delivered onto the target ofinterest is unpolarized light, polarized light with fixed and/orvariable polarizations, or a combination thereof.

In one embodiment, the acquiring step further comprises selectivelytransmitting a wavelength of the light from the illuminated target ofinterest; and acquiring a DRS image of the transmitted light; andrepeating the transmitting step and the acquiring step over apredetermined wavelength range with a predefined resolution.

In one embodiment, the predetermined wavelength range is from about 200nm to about 1000 nm, and the predefined resolution is about 1 nm, aboutnm, about 3 nm, about 4 nm, about 5 nm, or 6 nm.

In one embodiment, the acquiring step further comprises filtering thelight from the illuminated target of interest with polarizers so thatthe light is polarized with fixed and/or variable polarizations.

In one embodiment, the acquiring step comprises acquiring backgroundimages without delivering the beam of light onto the target of interestbefore acquiring images of the illuminated target of interest, and theprocessing step comprises subtracting the background images from theacquired images of the illuminated target of interest.

In one embodiment, the processing step comprises identifying spectralmarkers from spectra averaged spectra of the plurality of livingsubjects for each tissue type, wherein each spectral marker at awavelength provides a statistically significant difference andbiological justification for a corresponding type of tissue, and whereinthe averaged spectra for each tissue type are normalized to a peak atabout 690 nm, or some other wavelength of significance.

In one embodiment, the processing step further comprises comparingintensity ratios between the wavelengths of the spectral markers and thepeak wavelength at about 690 nm, or some other wavelength ofsignificance, to differentiate tissue types; classifying tissues basedon thresholds of the intensity ratios; and mapping, using thethresholds, the tissue distribution across the DRS images on a pixel bypixel basis.

In one embodiment, the method further includes displaying the tissuedistribution across the DRS images and/or projecting the tissuedistribution onto the intraoperative field of view so as to enableintraoperative identification and/or visualization of one or more nervesin the target of interest.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises providing a trigger tosequence and/or initiate data collection for enabling the acquiringoperation in normal and/or external lighting conditions including roomlights.

In one aspect, the invention relates to non-transitory tangiblecomputer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed byone or more processors, cause a method for intraoperative nerveidentification and/or visualization of a target of interest of a livingsubject to be performed. The method comprises delivering a beam of lightonto a target of interest so as to illuminate the target of interesttherewith; acquiring polarized DRS images of light from the illuminatedtarget of interest responsive to the illumination; and processing theacquired DRS images to identify and visualize nerve in the target ofinterest.

In one embodiment, the acquiring step further comprises selectivelytransmitting a wavelength of the light from the illuminated target ofinterest; acquiring a DRS image of the transmitted light; and repeatingthe transmitting step and the acquiring step over a predeterminedwavelength range with a predefined resolution.

In one embodiment, the acquiring step further comprises filtering thelight from the illuminated target of interest with polarizers so thatthe light is polarized with fixed and/or variable polarizations.

In one embodiment, the acquiring step comprises acquiring backgroundimages without delivering the beam of light onto the target of interestbefore acquiring images of the illuminated target of interest, and theprocessing step comprises subtracting the background images from theacquired images of the illuminated target of interest.

In one embodiment, the processing step comprises identifying spectralmarkers from spectra averaged spectra of the plurality of livingsubjects for each tissue type, wherein each spectral marker at awavelength provides a statistically significant difference andbiological justification for a corresponding type of tissue, and whereinthe averaged spectra for each tissue type are normalized to a peak atabout 690 nm, or some other wavelength of significance.

In one embodiment, the processing step further comprises comparingintensity ratios between the wavelengths of the spectral markers and thepeak wavelength at about 690 nm, or some other wavelength ofsignificance, to differentiate tissue types; classifying tissues basedon thresholds of the intensity ratios; and mapping, using thethresholds, the tissue distribution across the DRS images on a pixel bypixel basis.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises displaying the tissuedistribution across the DRS images and/or projecting the tissuedistribution onto the intraoperative field of view so as to enableintraoperative identification and/or visualization of one or more nervesin the target of interest.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises providing a trigger tosequence and/or initiate data collection for enabling the acquiringoperation in normal and/or external lighting conditions including roomlights.

These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunctionwith the following drawings, although variations and modificationstherein may be affected without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe novel concepts of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings form part of the present specification and areincluded to further demonstrate certain aspects of the invention. Theinvention may be better understood by reference to one or more of thesedrawings in combination with the detailed description of specificembodiments presented herein. The drawings described below are forillustration purposes only. The drawings are not intended to limit thescope of the present teachings in any way.

FIG. 1A shows an optical set-up of a liquid crystal tunable filter(LCTF) spectral imaging system with a liquid light guide (LLG), an LCTF,an adjustable focus lens (AF), and CCD, and a controller, according toone embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1B shows schematically an apparatus for intraoperative nervevisualization using polarized diffuse reflectance spectroscopy,according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 1C-1D shows schematically two embodiments of a light deliveringmeans according to the invention.

FIGS. 1E-1F show system resolution determined to be 150 μm using an AirForce standard.

FIG. 1G shows spectral characterization/accuracy according to oneembodiment of the invention. Solid lines indicate spectra measured withthe LCTF spectral imaging system while dashed are the spectra measuredwith an Ocean Optics USB spectrometer.

FIGS. 2A-2C show mean DR (diffuse reflectance) spectra from rat nerve,skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue, according to one embodiment of theinvention. FIG. 2A: Mean spectra per tissue types (Nerve in blue; Musclein red; and Fat in green) the standard deviation is plotted intransparent blocks. FIG. 2B: Ratiometric differentiation of nerve frommuscle and fat using the 423 nm and 690 nm peak ratio from unnormalizedspectra. (** indicates p<0.01; * indicates p<0.05). FIG. 2C: Ratiometricdifferentiation of fat and muscle using the 600 nm and 690 nm peak ratiofrom unnormalized spectra (*** indicates p<0.001).

FIGS. 3A-3B show tissue distribution maps of exposed rat sciatic nerve,according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3A: DRS image ofexposed rat sciatic nerve at 690 nm. FIG. 3B: Tissue distribution mapsgenerated using a peak analysis algorithm. Blue indicates nerve, redindicates muscle, and green indicates fat. Arrow indicates successfulidentification of about 500 μm nerve. Boxes indicate areas with highspecular reflectance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodimentsof the present invention are shown. The present invention may, however,be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed aslimited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodimentsare provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, andwill fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in theart. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinarymeanings in the art, within the context of the invention, and in thespecific context where each term is used. Certain terms that are used todescribe the invention are discussed below, or elsewhere in thespecification, to provide additional guidance to the practitionerregarding the description of the invention. For convenience, certainterms may be highlighted, for example using italics and/or quotationmarks. The use of highlighting and/or capital letters has no influenceon the scope and meaning of a term; the scope and meaning of a term arethe same, in the same context, whether or not it is highlighted and/orin capital letters. It will be appreciated that the same thing can besaid in more than one way. Consequently, alternative language andsynonyms may be used for any one or more of the terms discussed herein,nor is any special significance to be placed upon whether or not a termis elaborated or discussed herein. Synonyms for certain terms areprovided. A recital of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use ofother synonyms. The use of examples anywhere in this specification,including examples of any terms discussed herein, is illustrative onlyand in no way limits the scope and meaning of the invention or of anyexemplified term. Likewise, the invention is not limited to variousembodiments given in this specification.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third,etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components,regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions,layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These termsare only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer orsection from another element, component, region, layer or section. Thus,a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below canbe termed a second element, component, region, layer or section withoutdeparting from the teachings of the present invention.

It will be understood that, as used in the description herein andthroughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a”, “an”, and “the”includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Also, it will be understood that when an element is referred to as being“on,” “attached” to, “connected” to, “coupled” with, “contacting,” etc.,another element, it can be directly on, attached to, connected to,coupled with or contacting the other element or intervening elements mayalso be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being,for example, “directly on,” “directly attached” to, “directly connected”to, “directly coupled” with or “directly contacting” another element,there are no intervening elements present. It will also be appreciatedby those of skill in the art that references to a structure or featurethat is disposed “adjacent” to another feature may have portions thatoverlap or underlie the adjacent feature.

It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or“comprising,” or “includes” and/or “including” or “has” and/or “having”when used in this specification specify the presence of stated features,regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, butdo not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/orgroups thereof.

Furthermore, relative terms, such as “lower” or “bottom” and “upper” or“top,” may be used herein to describe one element's relationship toanother element as illustrated in the figures. It will be understoodthat relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations ofthe device in addition to the orientation shown in the figures. Forexample, if the device in one of the figures is turned over, elementsdescribed as being on the “lower” side of other elements would then beoriented on the “upper” sides of the other elements. The exemplary term“lower” can, therefore, encompass both an orientation of lower andupper, depending on the particular orientation of the figure. Similarly,if the device in one of the figures is turned over, elements describedas “below” or “beneath” other elements would then be oriented “above”the other elements. The exemplary terms “below” or “beneath” can,therefore, encompass both an orientation of above and below.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientificterms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Itwill be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonlyused dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that isconsistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and thepresent disclosure, and will not be interpreted in an idealized oroverly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

As used in this disclosure, “around”, “about”, “approximately” or“substantially” shall generally mean within 20 percent, preferablywithin 10 percent, and more preferably within 5 percent of a given valueor range. Numerical quantities given herein are approximate, meaningthat the term “around”, “about”, “approximately” or “substantially” canbe inferred if not expressly stated.

As used in this disclosure, the phrase “at least one of A, B, and C”should be construed to mean a logical (A or B or C), using anon-exclusive logical OR. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes anyand all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

As used in this disclosure, the term “living subject” refers to a humanbeing such as a patient, or a mammal animal such as a monkey.

As used in this disclosure, the term “diffuse reflectance spectroscopy”refers to a technique for studying spectral characteristics of a targetof interest, based on diffuse reflection that arises from theinteraction of light with various chemical and physical factors withinthe target of interest. These interactions include the absorption,transmission, and scattering properties of the illuminated target ofinterest.

A liquid crystal tunable filter (LCTF) is an optical filter that useselectronically controlled liquid crystal (LC) elements to transmit aselectable wavelength of light and exclude others. The LC elementsinclude, but are not limited to, switchable LC wave plates.

As used in this disclosure, “charge-coupled device” or “CCD” refers toan analog shift register that enables the transportation of analogsignals (electric charges) through successive stages (capacitors),controlled by a clock signal. Charge-coupled devices can be used as aform of memory or for delaying samples of analog signals. Today, theyare most widely used in arrays of photoelectric light sensors toserialize parallel analog signals. In a CCD for capturing images, thereis a photoactive region (an epitaxial layer of silicon), and atransmission region made out of a shift register (the CCD, properlyspeaking). An image is projected through a lens onto the capacitor array(the photoactive region), causing each capacitor to accumulate anelectric charge proportional to the light intensity at that location. Aone-dimensional array, used in line-scan cameras, captures a singleslice of the image, while a two-dimensional array, used in video andstill cameras, captures a two-dimensional picture corresponding to thescene projected onto the focal plane of the sensor. Once the array hasbeen exposed to the image, a control circuit causes each capacitor totransfer its contents to its neighbor (operating as a shift register).The last capacitor in the array dumps its charge into a chargeamplifier, which converts the charge into a voltage. By repeating thisprocess, the controlling circuit converts the entire semiconductorcontents of the array to a sequence of voltages, which it samples,digitizes and stores in some form of memory.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in detail hereinafter withreference to accompanying drawings. The description below is merelyillustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention,its application, or uses. The broad teachings of the invention can beimplemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this inventionincludes particular examples, the true scope of the invention should notbe so limited since other modifications will become apparent upon astudy of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims. Forpurposes of clarity, the same reference numbers will be used in thedrawings to identify similar elements. It should be understood that oneor more steps within a method may be executed in different order (orconcurrently) without altering the principles of the invention.

A wide range of surgical procedures require working in areas containingimportant nerve and neural structures. As a result, intraoperative nerveinjury is a prevalent surgical risk and common source of medicolegallitigation. Currently, surgeons rely on their anatomical knowledge andnaked-eye visualization of the surgical field to identify nerves. Thiscan lead to nerve injury in up to 60% of some cases even with the aid ofintraoperative nerve monitoring which is only intermittently applied.

To address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies, theinvention in one aspect discloses apparatuses and methods for label-freeidentification and visualization of peripheral nerves using polarizationimaging (PI) and DRS. This invention allows for non-contact, real-timevisualization of nerves within the surgical field. PI and DRS relysolely on the innate optical properties of the nerve and surroundingtissue for contrast eliminating the need for the administration ofexogenous contrast agents. In this way, surgeons are able to activelyavoid damaging vital nerves or neural structures in real-time withoutcontact with or alteration of the surgical site. DRS non-invasivelydetects changes in optical absorption and scattering within tissue thatcan be used to discriminate tissue types. PI provides another label-freeand complementary means to optically identify nerves based on polarizedlight's sensitivity to the orderly structure of myelination sheath.Together these two optical modalities can provide high-fidelity,label-free, and non-contact identification and visualization of nerveswithin a surgical field. Using ratio-metric comparison of spectraltissue markers combined with polarization data, nerves are distinguishedand located on a pixel by pixel basis. Nerve visualization can becommunicated to the surgeon either through displays or projections ontothe surgical field. It should be appreciated to one skilled in the artthat the apparatus and method disclosed herein are not limited to justidentifying and/or visualizing nerves, but can be applied in otherinstances connective tissue, fat, muscle, blood vessels, etc., as well.

To the inventors' knowledge, combination of the two imaging modalities,PI and DRS, into one clinical instrument according to the invention hasnot yet been reported at the time when the invention was made.

In one aspect, this invention relates to a system/apparatus/probe forlabel-free identification and visualization of peripheral nerves and/orother targeted tissue species of interest in the surgical field, such asnerve, muscle, tendon (connective), vascular, adipose tissues, and soon, using DRS and PI. DRS non-invasively detects changes in opticalabsorption and scattering within tissue that can be used to discriminatetissue types. PI provides another label-free and complementary means tooptically identify nerves based on polarized light's sensitivity to theorderly structure of myelination sheath. Together these two opticalmodalities can provide high-fidelity, label-free, and non-contactidentification and visualization of nerves within a surgical field.

For DRS, this system utilizes a light source that is coupled into aliquid light guide that, in turn, delivers light emitted from the lightsource onto the surgical field. Alternate forms of the light deliverinclude fiber optics or a series of lens. Once the light has beendelivered to and interacted with the tissue, reflected andback-scattered light is then collected, passed through variable spectralbandpass filters to acquire hyperspectral images, and imaged onto acamera or photodiode, or photodiode array.

PI can be acquired separately from or simultaneously with the DRShyperspectral images. The PI utilizes a light source whose output ispolarized either inherently or through polarizers with variable axes oftransmission delivered to the surgical field. These polarizers arecapable of selecting or producing light with linear, elliptical, andcircular polarization states. Reflected or back-scattered light is thencollected from the tissue, passed through another set polarizers, andimaged onto a CCD or photodiode. Similarly, these polarizers are capableof selecting or producing light with linear, elliptical, and circularpolarization states.

Using ratio-metric comparison of spectral tissue markers combined withpolarization data, nerves are distinguished and located on a pixel bypixel basis. In this way, the nerve identification is partiallydetermined by the spatial resolution of the system meaning it can bemodified for microsurgeries or surgeries with large surgical fields.Moreover, tissue discrimination can be done periodically or in real-timedepending on the surgeons' preference. Nerve visualization can becommunicated to the surgeon either through displays or projections ontothe surgical field.

In certain embodiments, the system combining polarization and diffusereflectance spectroscopy can be used in vivo for tissue discriminationof nerve(s) in a rat leg model. Data analysis methods are disclosed andspectral markers are identified. All various avenues to display nervevisualization (displaying on a monitor, projection onto surgical field,etc.) are explored.

In certain embodiments, some ex vivo experiments are conducted usingdiffuse reflectance alone for tissue discrimination (nerve, fat, andmuscle) and nerve visualization.

Referring to FIGS. 1A-1D, and particularly to FIG. 1B, an apparatus forintraoperative nerve identification and/or visualization of a target ofinterest of a living subject is shown according to one embodiment of theinvention. In the exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a lightsource 110 for emitting a beam of light to illuminate a target ofinterest 101, and a light delivering means 120 coupled with the lightsource 110 via a liquid light guide (LLG) 115 for delivering the beam oflight emitted from the light source 110 onto the target of interest 101so as to illuminate the target of interest 101 therewith. The lightdelivering means 120 can be coupled with the light source 110 via otheroptical means such as fibers, or lenses. The target of interest 101 canbe a surgical field or site.

In one embodiment, the light source 110 is a broadband light source foremitting the beam of light in a wavelength range of about 100-1200 nm.The beam of light emitted from the light source is polarized eitherinherently or through polarizers with variable axes of transmissiondelivered to the target of interest.

In one embodiment, the light delivering means 120 comprises one or morefibers, as shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D, where the former indicates thelight delivering means 120 has one fiber 122, while the latter shows thelight delivering means 120 has four fibers 122, 124, 126 and 128. Thelight delivering means 120 is configured such that (a) light 125delivered onto the target of interest 101 from the one or more fibers isunpolarized light; or (b) light 125 delivered onto the target ofinterest 101 from the one or more fibers is polarized light having fixedand/or variable polarizations; or (c) light 125 delivered onto thetarget of interest 101 from one (e.g., fiber 122) of the one or morefibers is unpolarized light and light 125 delivered onto the target ofinterest 101 from the others (e.g., fibers 124, 126 and 128) of the oneor more fibers is polarized light having fixed and/or variablepolarizations.

If the beam of light emitted from the light source is not polarized, thelight delivering means 120 may have one or more wave plates, orpolarizers, to covert the beam of light in polarized light having fixedand/or variable polarizations.

In one embodiment, the light delivering means 120 may comprise one ormore lenses configured to deliver the beam of light emitted from thelight source 110 onto the target of interest 101.

Back to FIG. 1B now, the apparatus also includes an imaging headpositioned over the target of interest 101 for acquiring polarized DRSimages of light 105 reflected and backscattered from the illuminatedtarget of interest 101 responsive to the illumination 125, foridentifying and/or visualizing one or more nerves in the target ofinterest. The imaging head comprises a detector 150 disposed in a topportion of the image head for acquiring the DRS images; a tunable filter130 positioned in a bottom portion of the image head in an optical pathfor collecting the light 105 from the illuminated target of interest;and a lens 140 positioned between the tunable filter 130 and thedetector 150 in the optical path for focusing the collected light to thedetector 150.

In one embodiment, the detector 150 comprises at least one camera. Inone embodiment, the at least one camera comprises at least one CCDcamera, at least one CMOS camera, at least one photosensor array, or acombination thereof In one embodiment, the at least one camera comprisesat least one infrared camera and/or at least one NIR camera.

In one embodiment, the tunable filter 130 is an optical filter that useselectronically controlled LC elements to transmit a selectablewavelength of light and exclude others, with fixed and/or variablepolarizations. In one embodiment, the LC elements comprise switchable LCwave plates.

In one embodiment, the tunable filter 130 may comprise variable spectralbandpass filters, variable polarization filters, or a combinationthereof.

In one embodiment, the tunable filter 130 is a dispersion based filterthat produces a spatially distributed continuous wavelength spectrumthat can be sampled for wavelengths including selecting wavelengths, notrestricted to individual but also extending to a selection of a fullwavelength spread spectrum.

In one embodiment, the lens 140 is an adjustable focus lens.

In one embodiment, the light source is operably modulated by a lock-inscheme or a TTL trigger for providing a trigger to sequence and/orinitiate data collection for enabling operations of the detector innormal and/or external lighting conditions including room lights. In oneembodiment, the imaging head further comprises one or more lenses (notshown) positioned between the target of the interest 101 and the tunablefilter 130 for focusing the light 105 from the illuminated target ofinterest 101 to the tunable filter 130.

In addition, the apparatus further comprises a controller 160 configuredto coordinately operate the light delivering means 120 to deliver thebeam of light onto the target of interest 101 and the image head toacquire the DRS images of the light from the illuminated target ofinterest, to receive the acquired images from the detector 150, and toprocess the acquired images to identify and visualize nerve in thetarget of interest.

In one embodiment, the controller is further configured to provide,based on the processed images, an aural or tactile nerve proximityindication that allows a surgeon to spatially and manually interrogatelocations prior to and/or during execution of tissue surgicalmanipulations.

In one embodiment, the controller is further configured to providevisual, aural and/or tactile feedbacks including vibration and/orbuzzing alerts.

In one embodiment, the apparatus also has a display (e.g., a part of160) for displaying the processed images. Further, the apparatus mayalso have means for projecting maps of the tissue distribution onto theintraoperative field of view. For example, the maps can be projectedonto the surgeons' field of view by incorporating into their surgicalloupe, microscope, glasses, goggles, or on an external screen.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a probe for intraoperativenerve identification and/or visualization of a target of interest of aliving subject. The probe comprises a light delivering means coupledwith a light source for delivering a beam of light emitted from thelight source onto a target of interest so as to illuminate the target ofinterest therewith; a light collecting means positioned over the targetof interest for collecting light from the illuminated target of interestresponsive to the illumination; and an imaging means positioned over thetarget of interest coupled with the light collecting means for acquiringpolarized diffuse reflectance spectral (DRS) images of light from theilluminated target of interest responsive to the illumination, foridentifying and/or visualizing one or more nerves in the target ofinterest.

In one embodiment, the light source is a built-in broadband light sourceor an external broadband light source for emitting the beam of light ina wavelength range of about 100-1200 nm.

In one embodiment, the beam of light emitted from the light source ispolarized either inherently or through polarizers with variable axes oftransmission delivered to the target of interest.

In one embodiment, the light delivering means comprises one or morefibers and is configured such that light delivered onto the target ofinterest from at least one of the one or more fibers is unpolarizedlight; or light delivered onto the target of interest from at least oneof the one or more fibers is polarized light having fixed and/orvariable polarizations; or light delivered onto the target of interestfrom one of the one or more fibers is unpolarized light and lightdelivered onto the target of interest from the others of the one or morefibers is polarized light having fixed and/or variable polarizations.

In one embodiment, the light delivering means comprises one or morelenses configured to deliver the beam of light emitted from the lightsource onto the target of interest.

In one embodiment, the light delivering means further comprises one ormore wave plates configured to polarize the beam of light emitted fromthe light source in polarized light having fixed and/or variablepolarizations.

In one embodiment, the light collecting means comprises a tunable filterfor collecting light from the illuminated target of interest; and a lenspositioned for focusing the collected light to the imaging means.

In one embodiment, the tunable filter is an optical filter that useselectronically controlled LC elements to transmit a selectablewavelength of light and exclude others, with fixed and/or variablepolarizations. In one embodiment, the LC elements comprise switchable LCwave plates.

In one embodiment, the tunable filter comprises variable spectralbandpass filters, variable polarization filters, or a combinationthereof.

In one embodiment, the tunable filter is a dispersion based filter thatproduces a spatially distributed continuous wavelength spectrum that canbe sampled for wavelengths including selecting wavelengths, notrestricted to individual but also extending to a selection of a fullwavelength spread spectrum.

In one embodiment, the lens is an adjustable focus lens.

In one embodiment, the light source is operably modulated by a lock-inscheme or a TTL trigger for providing a trigger to sequence and/orinitiate data collection for enabling operations of the detector innormal and/or external lighting conditions including room lights.

In one embodiment, the light collecting means further comprises one ormore lenses positioned between the target of the interest and thetunable filter for focusing the light from the illuminated target ofinterest to the tunable filter.

In one embodiment, the light collecting means further comprises one ormore fibers each having one end coupled to the tunable filter and anopposite, working end operably positioned proximate to the target ofinterest to collect the light from the illuminated target of interest tothe tunable filter.

In one embodiment, the imaging means comprises a detector acquiring theDRS images.

In one embodiment, the detector comprises at least one camera.

In one embodiment, the at least one camera comprises at least one CCDcamera, at least one CMOS camera, at least one photosensor array, or acombination thereof. In one embodiment, the at least one cameracomprises at least one infrared camera and/or at least one NIR camera.

In one embodiment, the probe also has a controller configured tocoordinately operate the light delivering means to deliver the beam oflight onto the target of interest, the light collecting means to collectthe light from the illuminated target of interest, and the imaging meansto acquire the DRS images of the light from the illuminated target ofinterest, to receive the acquired images from the detector imagingmeans, and to process the acquired images to identify and visualizenerve in the target of interest.

In one embodiment, the controller is further configured to provide,based on the processed images, an aural or tactile nerve proximityindication that allows a surgeon to spatially and manually interrogatelocations prior to and/or during execution of tissue surgicalmanipulations.

In one embodiment, the controller is further configured to providevisual, aural and/or tactile feedbacks including vibration and/orbuzzing alerts.

In one embodiment, the probe further comprises a display for displayingthe processed images and/or means for projecting the maps of processedtissue distribution onto the intraoperative field of view. In certainembodiments, the projecting means can be, but are not limited to,surgical loupe, microscope, glasses, goggles, or projector.

In one embodiment, the probe is a handheld probe.

Yet another aspect of the invention relates to a method forintraoperative nerve identification and/or visualization within a targetof interest of a living subject.

In one embodiment, the method include delivering a beam of light onto atarget of interest so as to illuminate the target of interest therewith;acquiring polarized DRS images of light from the illuminated target ofinterest responsive to the illumination; and processing the acquired DRSimages to identify and visualize nerve in the target of interest.

In one embodiment, the beam of light delivered onto the target ofinterest is in a wavelength range of about 100-1200 nm.

In one embodiment, the beam of light delivered onto the target ofinterest is unpolarized light, polarized light with fixed and/orvariable polarizations, or a combination thereof.

In one embodiment, the acquiring step further comprises selectivelytransmitting a wavelength of the light from the illuminated target ofinterest; and acquiring a DRS image of the transmitted light; andrepeating the transmitting step and the acquiring step over apredetermined wavelength range with a predefined resolution.

In one embodiment, the predetermined wavelength range is from about 200nm to about 1000 nm, and the predefined resolution is about 1 nm, about2 nm, about 3 nm, about 4 nm, about 5 nm, or 6 nm.

In one embodiment, the acquiring step further comprises filtering thelight from the illuminated target of interest with polarizers so thatthe light is polarized with fixed and/or variable polarizations.

In one embodiment, the acquiring step comprises acquiring backgroundimages without delivering the beam of light onto the target of interestbefore acquiring images of the illuminated target of interest, and theprocessing step comprises subtracting the background images from theacquired images of the illuminated target of interest.

In one embodiment, the processing step comprises identifying spectralmarkers from spectra averaged from the spectra of the plurality ofliving subjects for each tissue type, wherein each spectral marker at awavelength provides a statistically significant difference andbiological justification for a corresponding type of tissue, and whereinthe averaged spectra for each tissue type are normalized to a peak atabout 690 nm, or some other wavelength of significance.

In one embodiment, the processing step further comprises comparingintensity ratios between the wavelengths of the spectral markers and thepeak wavelength at about 690 nm, or some other wavelength ofsignificance, to differentiate tissue types; classifying tissues basedon thresholds of the intensity ratios; and mapping, using thethresholds, the tissue distribution across the DRS images on a pixel bypixel basis.

In one embodiment, the method further includes displaying the tissuedistribution across the DRS images and/or projecting the tissuedistribution onto the intraoperative field of view so as to enableintraoperative identification and/or visualization of one or more nervesin the target of interest. In one embodiment, the method furtherincludes providing a trigger to sequence and/or initiate data collectionfor enabling the acquiring operation in normal and/or external lightingconditions including room lights.

It should be noted that all or a part of the steps according to theembodiments of the present invention is implemented by hardware or aprogram instructing relevant hardware. Yet another aspect of theinvention provides a non-transitory tangible computer-readable mediumstoring instructions which, when executed by one or more processors,cause the apparatus or probe to perform the above method forintraoperative nerve identification and/or visualization of a target ofinterest of a living subject. The computer executable instructions orprogram codes enable a computer or a similar computing system tocomplete various operations in the above disclosed method for privilegemanagement. The storage medium/memory may include, but is not limitedto, high-speed random access medium/memory such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAMor other random access solid state memory devices, and non-volatilememory such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical diskstorage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid statestorage devices.

Traditionally, surgeons rely on their training and anatomical knowledgeto avoid damaging nerves within the field of surgery. Recently, nerveshave been imaged preoperatively using Mill, diffusion tensor imaging,and ultrasonography to prepare for the procedure. Early diagnosis isthen largely dependent on the surgeons' awareness of the injury and itssymptoms. Recently, intraoperative neural monitoring (IONM) has loweredthe incidence of neural morbidity. The IONM seeks to preserve nervefunction and integrity through monitoring neural activity duringsurgical procedures. This is primarily achieved through electricalstimulation (ES) and electrophysiological recordings which are used toboth locate nerves and monitor neural viability. By assessing neuralfunctionality throughout a surgical procedure, the risk of iatrogenicdamage is greatly reduced and appropriate measures can be taken if thenerve is damaged. Some commercial systems such as Nerveana® and the NIM®system are manually controlled by the surgeon during thyroidectomieswhile others like the PropPrep® Nerve Monitoring System can be usedduring robotic prostatectomies. Despite improving patient outcomes, theIONM methodologies have innate limitations.

During most nerve sparing procedures, nerves are only intermittentlymonitored which increases the likelihood of nerve damage in between ESevents. Thus, immediate corrective action to avoid injury is impossible,and injuries can only be addressed after the fact. Recently, continuousIONM has been employed in thyroidectomies but can yield unreliable EMGsignals due to inadvertent electrode dislocation. ES remains prone tocurrent spread as unconfined charge is distributed throughout theadjacent tissue. As a result, ES excites multiple neurons leading to apopulation response of all neural tissue within close proximity to theelectrode. This leads to poor spatial specificity and resolution duringnerve identification and mapping. In surgeries like radicalprostatectomy and acoustic neuroma removal, ES's poor spatial resolutioncan prevent the maximal excision of diseased tissue in an effort tomaintain nerve function.

Unlike IONM, the apparatus and probe according to embodiments of theinvention provides a real-time feedback of the current location ofnerves within the surgical field rather than intermittent evaluations.Moreover, nerve mapping does not depend on ES, and therefore, is not belimited by the current spread of ES but by the optical resolution of thesystem. The system according to embodiments of the invention alsoprovides an image to guide surgeons instantaneously rather than manuallyprobing the surgical site with an electrode searching for nerves. Thishelps reduce operation time. Lastly, the apparatus and probe accordingto embodiments of the invention does not require contact with the tissueeliminating the risk of erroneous results from improper electrodecontact.

These and other aspects of the present invention are further describedbelow. Without intent to limit the scope of the invention, examplesaccording to the embodiments of the present invention are given below.Note that titles or subtitles may be used in the examples forconvenience of a reader, which in no way should limit the scope of theinvention. Moreover, certain theories are proposed and disclosed herein;however, in no way they, whether they are right or wrong, should limitthe scope of the invention so long as the invention is practicedaccording to the invention without regard for any particular theory orscheme of action.

EXAMPLE Rat Peripheral Nerve Identification Using Diffuse ReflectanceSpectroscopy

A wide range of surgical procedures require working in areas containingimportant nerve and neural structures. As a result, intraoperative nerveinjury is a prevalent surgical risk and source of medicolegallitigations. Currently, surgeons rely on their anatomical knowledge andvisualization of the surgical field to identify nerves which, in somecases, can lead to nerve injury in up to 60% of some cases even with theaid of intraoperative nerve monitoring.

In this non-limiting exemplary example, the label-free identification ofperipheral nerves using DRS is demonstrated. DRS noninvasively detectschanges in optical absorption and scattering within tissue that are usedto classify tissue. DRS measurements were performed on exposed ratsciatic nerves with small nerve branches (<1 mm in diameter), andspectral markers were identified for nerve, muscle, and adipose tissue.Nerve tissue was distinguished using an enhanced peak located at about423 nm. Muscle and adipose tissue were differentiated using thedifferences in reflectance at about 600 nm owing to brown adiposetissue. Images of the tissue distribution were then generated using thespectral markers and were able to successfully identify submillimeterdiameter nerves. These results indicate that DRS is a potentiallyvaluable technique for intraoperative nerve localization.

DRS is an optical spectroscopy in which a target of interest, e.g., abio-object such as tissue, is exposed to a range of wavelengths and thespecularly and diffusely reflected light is collected. Since DRSinvolves collecting backscattered light that has entered the tissue, DRSdepends on the intrinsic optical properties of the tissue and can beused to back-calculate these properties without the need of exogenouslabels. Additionally, the innate differences in optical propertiesbetween tissue types also allows DRS to distinguish tissues such ascolon polyps, skin melanomas, oral cancer, and gliomas from healthysurrounding tissue in vivo. In the present example, DRS was used tocharacterize nerve, adipose, and skeletal muscle in a rat model. Spectrawere analyzed and used to identify statistically significant spectraldifferences between each tissue. Images of the tissue distribution werethen generated based on the DRS markers. The results provide aproof-of-concept demonstration of DRS' capability to intraoperativelydetect and distinguish nerves.

Materials and Methods

Animal Studies: All animal experiments were conducted at the VanderbiltUniversity W. M. Keck Free Electron Laser Center and the VanderbiltBiophotonics Center. DRS measurements were made on euthanizedSpraque-Dawley rats used in other experiments in accordance with theNational Institute of Health Guide for the Care and Use of LaboratoryAnimals (n=6). During the surgery, an incision was madeposterior-laterally from the pelvic cavity to the knee to expose thesciatic nerve. Once exposed, the epineurium was removed as part of thepreceding experiment's protocol. Rats were then placed in a proneposition and imaged.

Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy: An about 200 W halogen lamp (Luxtec)was used as the white light source for DRS. As shown in FIGS. 1A-1B,light was delivered to the surgical site via an about 10 mm liquid lightguide (LLG, Steiner and Martins) and collected using variable focal(f=28-80 mm) length camera lens (AF, Nikon) and imaged onto a 512×512pixel CCD camera (PhotonMax, Princeton Instruments) through a liquidcrystal tunable filter (LCTF, Varispec VIS-20, CRI, Inc.) to acquirespectral images. The CCD camera was mounted onto an arm perpendicular toan optical table. The output of the liquid fiber was collimated andevenly illuminated the surgical site. The resolution of the system wasdetermined to be about 150 μm using a peak to valley ratio thresholdequal to the square root of two, as shown in FIGS. 1E-1F. Spectralcharacterization was performed for the LCTF spectral imaging systemusing narrow bandpass optical filters to assess its accuracy, as shownin FIG. 1G. LCTF measurements were then confirmed with an Ocean OpticsUSB spectrometer.

All DRS images were acquired over a wavelength range from about 400-720nm with an about 3 nm resolution. Each wavelength was assigned a customintegration time to ensure an adequate amount of time to collect theappropriate wavelength while avoiding saturation. Background images withdelivery fiber blocked were taken before imaging exposed nerves, andsubsequently subtracted from the images of exposed nerves. All DRS wasperformed with the room lights off.

Spectral and Image Processing: Three sites of adipose, skeletal muscle,and nerve tissue from each rat were used to generate average spectra ofeach tissue type for every rat (3 total averaged spectra/rat). Spectrafor each tissue type were averaged and normalized to the peak at about690 nm since it was consistently the highest peak in all the spectra andis one of the least absorbed wavelengths in biological tissue. Spectralmarkers were obtained from the averaged spectra of the six ratsaccording to the wavelengths providing a statistically significantdifference and biological justification. Intensity ratios between thesewavelengths were then compared to differentiate tissue types and developa tissue classification algorithm. Tissues were classified based onthresholding the peak ratios. Using these thresholds, maps of the tissuedistribution across the DRS images were then generated on a pixel bypixel basis.

Statistical Analysis: All statistical testing was done using an unpairedt-test. Statistical testing was performed across the entire wavelengthrange for each tissue to determine which spectral features accounted forthe best markers for tissue characterization. This test was also used tocompare the peak ratios.

Results and Discussion

Tissue Characterization: The DR spectra acquired from the euthanizedrats are shown in FIG. 2A. From the spectra, it is clear to see that theintensity at about 423 nm for nerves is substantially higher than thatfor either muscle or fat. After statistical analysis of the spectra, thepeak at about 423 nm was identified as promising spectral marker fornerve tissue identification. Using a ratio of the intensity at 423 nmpeak compared to the peak at about 690 nm of unnormalized spectra, itwas found that the difference in this ratio was statisticallysignificant for both distinguishing the nerve from the fat (p<0.01) andthe nerve from the muscle (p<0.05), as shown in FIG. 2B. Similarly, todifferentiate the muscle from the fat, the difference between thespectra at 600 nm was the most significant possibly owing to the factthe brown adipose tissue was present in the surgical field. Using theratio of the intensities at 600 nm and 690 nm of the unnormalizedspectra, the fat was successfully able to be distinguished from themuscle, as shown FIG. 2C (p<0.001). These ratios were then used togenerate tissue maps across the camera's entire field of view.

Tissue Distribution Maps: Using the ratios determined above DRS spectraof each pixel of the raw, baseline corrected images were then analyzed.Thresholds were equal one standard deviation below the mean of thehigher mean ratio. For instance, in distinguishing the nerve, if the 423nm/690 nm ratio of the DR spectra is greater than about 0.36 (onestandard deviation below the mean for the nerve) the pixel wasclassified as the nerve. If it was below that about 0.36, the 600 nm/690nm ratio was then considered with a value greater than about 0.33classified as the muscle and below as adipose tissue. Using thisalgorithm, tissue distribution maps were generated for the DRS imagesshown in FIGS. 3A-3B. It is shown that the submillimeter nerve wassuccessfully classified and localized.

The objective of this exemplary example was to use DRS to distinguishnerves from surrounding tissues in a surgical field. Looking at the meanspectra acquired for nerve, muscle, and adipose tissue illustrated inFIG. 2A, nerves clearly produce enhanced DR spectra across the lowerportion of a visible spectrum. Since scattering dominates in the nervetissue in the visible range, it is expected that the nerve spectra havehigher reflectance than the muscle and surprisingly adipose tissue.Moreover, since the epineurium which contains connective tissue and someblood vessels was removed, the nerve was less likely to be influenced bythe absorption of blood. This is likely the reason why the 423 nm peakis more pronounced in the nerves. Though not immediately apparent at thefirst glance, the largest variation between the adipose and muscletissue occurs at about 600 nm with the reflectance from the adiposetissue being higher. This can be explained by brown adipose tissue.Brown adipose tissue contains high concentrations of cytochromes thatcontribute to its characteristic golden color. As its colorizationsuggests, the brown adipose tissue has a reduction in its absorptionaround 590 nm which could account for this spectral marker. The presenceof the brown adipose tissue, however, was not confirmed and furthertesting is required to determine if this is indeed the case.

The DF spectra also lacked some of the spectral features normally shownin DR tissue spectra. In particular, many of the peaks and valleysassociated with blood absorption from about 550-600 nm seem to be maskedin the spectra. The masking of these smaller features maybe due toissues with LCTF. As shown in FIG. 1G, the spectral bandwidth of theLCTF seems to get larger with longer wavelengths and/or the percenttransmission of the LCTF also increases with wavelength. More rigorouscharacterization of the system may be needed to recover these spectralfeatures.

According to embodiments of the invented system, nerves were able to beclassified and localized in the DRS images using peak ratios. Moreover,small nerve branches (about 500 μm) were able to be detected andvisualized using the 423 nm/690 nm ratio, as shown in FIG. 3B. The largearea in the left-hand corner of FIG. 3B classified as nerve is skin.Since skin was not spectrally characterized in the data analysis it isnot surprising that it was misclassified. Differentiating skin fromnerve is also not a common challenge surgeons face as skin is pulledaway from the surgical field. The upper trunk of the sciatic nerve isalso misclassified as adipose tissue owing to epineurium still coveringthat section of the nerve. This indicates that connective tissue shouldalso be investigated and characterized using DRS in future work. FIG. 3Balso has areas of high intensity specular reflections that confound theclassification algorithm. Future steps can be taken to avoid highspecular reflections (collecting off-angle diffusely reflected light/useof polarization filtering). The prevalence of specular reflectance inthe image is a result of attempting to have most of the uneven field infocus.

In spite of some issues in acquiring DRS images, this example presentspromising evidence toward the incorporation of DRS in nerve sparringprocedures. Using a ratiometric algorithm based on DF spectral features,tissue distribution maps were successfully generated and submillimeternerves were accurately identified. Employing DRS intraoperatively couldhelp surgeons localize nerves within the field of surgery and reduce thefrequency of intraoperative nerve damage.

A critical component of DRS is to separate signals according towavelength. As shown in FIGS. 1A-1B, for the spectral characterization,the LCTF has some spectral bleeding which increased with wavelength andbroadened the peaks. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the LCTFfiltered light increases with wavelength despite the width of thebandpass filter remaining constant. In addition, the center wavelengthof the lower wavelength peaks is shifted. Evidently, the sensitive ofthe LCTF varies with wavelengths.

The transmission through the LCTF may also be increasing with longerwavelengths which could also explain the broadening. Lower wavelengthsrequired longer acquisitions (about 2 s) while longer wavelengthsrequired much shorter acquisitions (about 8 ms). In determining theacquisition times for each wavelength, extended acquisition timesresulted in saturation and broader peaks. This broadening is most likelythe reason some of the typical tissue spectral features are diminished.In addition, since the exposed sciatic nerve varied in depth, it wasdifficult to get images with multiple tissue types in focus. Working toflatten the surgical field or imaging a smaller area of interest mayalso lead to better results.

For future improvements, first and foremost, more rigorouscharacterization of the LCTF spectral imaging system needs to be done toensure accurate spectra are being collected with enough sensitivity todetect smaller DRS features. Imaging live animals with the epineuriumkept intact would also yield more practical results. Extending theconsidered wavelength range to the NIR may also provide usefulinformation to differentiate tissues especially nerve from adiposetissue. This study also did not investigate myelinated and unmyelinatednerves. Unmyelinated nerves are often small, contain sensory axons, andare rarely identified during surgery. Future work should investigate ifunmyelinated and myelinated DF spectra are distinct, and if unmyelinatedcan be detected apart from their myelinated counterparts. The techniquepresented here was also no longer effective to detect nerve once it wascovered in in a thin layer of fat (FIGS. 3A-3B). Future work shouldfocus on the depth to which nerves can be detected. Lastly, this workdid not consider connective tissue which should also be characterizedand investigated.

A simple t-test is insufficient to properly analyze these spectra. Amore appropriate method would be ordinary least squares regression modelwhich can estimate the spectral contribution from each tissue type at agiven pixel. In this way, a pixel that may not be entirely composed ofjust adipose tissue can also partially be assigned to muscle as well.Principle component analysis may also be a valuable analytic tool totease out spectral markers. The spectral markers used to distinguishtissue types should also be grounded in the biological and opticalproperties of the respective tissues.

In the non-limiting exemplary examples, the apparatus and methoddisclosed herein are applied for identifying and/or visualizing nerves.However, it should be appreciated to one skilled in the art that theapparatus and method disclosed herein are not limited to justidentifying and/or visualizing nerves, but can be applied in otherinstances connective tissue, fat, muscle, blood vessels, etc., as well.

The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention has been presented only for the purposes of illustration anddescription and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit theinvention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications andvariations are possible in light of the above teaching.

The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain theprinciples of the invention and their practical application so as toactivate others skilled in the art to utilize the invention and variousembodiments and with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art to which the present inventionpertains without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, thescope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims ratherthan the foregoing description and the exemplary embodiments describedtherein.

Some references, which may include patents, patent applications andvarious publications, are cited and discussed in the description of thisinvention. The citation and/or discussion of such references is providedmerely to clarify the description of the present invention and is not anadmission that any such reference is “prior art” to the inventiondescribed herein. All references cited and discussed in thisspecification are incorporated herein by reference in their entiretiesand to the same extent as if each reference was individuallyincorporated by reference.

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What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for intraoperative nerveidentification and/or visualization of a target of interest of a livingsubject, comprising: a light source for emitting a beam of light toilluminate a target of interest; a light delivering means for deliveringthe beam of light emitted from the light source onto the target ofinterest so as to illuminate the target of interest therewith; and animaging head positioned over the target of interest for acquiringpolarized diffuse reflectance spectral (DRS) images of light from theilluminated target of interest responsive to the illumination, foridentifying and/or visualizing one or more nerves in the target ofinterest.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source is abroadband light source for emitting the beam of light in a wavelengthrange of about 100-1200 nm.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thebeam of light emitted from the light source is polarized eitherinherently or through polarizers with variable axes of transmissiondelivered to the target of interest.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the light delivering means comprises one or more fibers and isconfigured such that light delivered onto the target of interest from atleast one of the one or more fibers is unpolarized light; or lightdelivered onto the target of interest from at least one of the one ormore fibers is polarized light having fixed and/or variablepolarizations; or light delivered onto the target of interest from oneof the one or more fibers is unpolarized light and light delivered ontothe target of interest from the others of the one or more fibers ispolarized light having fixed and/or variable polarizations.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the light delivering means comprises oneor more lenses configured to deliver the beam of light emitted from thelight source onto the target of interest.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5,wherein the light delivering means further comprises one or more waveplates configured to polarize the beam of light emitted from the lightsource in polarized light having fixed and/or variable polarizations. 7.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the imaging head comprises: a detectordisposed in a top portion of the image head for acquiring the DRSimages; a tunable filter positioned in a bottom portion of the imagehead in an optical path for collecting light from the illuminated targetof interest; and a lens positioned between the tunable filter and thedetector in the optical path for focusing the collected light to thedetector.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the detector comprises atleast one camera.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least onecamera comprises at least one charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, atleast one complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera, atleast one photosensor array, or a combination thereof.
 10. The apparatusof claim 8, wherein the at least one camera comprises at least oneinfrared camera and/or at least one near-infrared (NIR) camera.
 11. Theapparatus of claim 7, wherein the tunable filter is an optical filterthat uses electronically controlled liquid crystal (LC) elements totransmit a selectable wavelength of light and exclude others, with fixedand/or variable polarizations.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11, whereinthe LC elements comprise switchable LC wave plates.
 13. The apparatus ofclaim 7, wherein the tunable filter is a dispersion based filter thatproduces a spatially distributed continuous wavelength spectrum that isoperably sampled for wavelengths including selecting wavelengths, notrestricted to individual but also extending to a selection of a fullwavelength spread spectrum.
 14. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein thetunable filter comprises variable spectral bandpass filters, variablepolarization filters, or a combination thereof.
 15. The apparatus ofclaim 7, wherein the lens is an adjustable focus lens.
 16. The apparatusof claim 7, wherein the light source is operably modulated by a lock-inscheme or a transistor-transistor logic (TTL) trigger for providing atrigger to sequence and/or initiate data collection for enablingoperations of the detector in normal and/or external lighting conditionsincluding room lights.
 17. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the imaginghead further comprises one or more lenses positioned between the targetof the interest and the tunable filter for focusing the light from theilluminated target of interest to the tunable filter.
 18. The apparatusof claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to coordinatelyoperate the light delivering means to deliver the beam of light onto thetarget of interest and the image head to acquire the DRS images of thelight from the illuminated target of interest, to receive the acquiredimages from the detector, and to process the acquired images to identifyand visualize nerve in the target of interest.
 19. The apparatus ofclaim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to provide, basedon the processed images, an aural or tactile nerve proximity indicationthat allows a surgeon to spatially and manually interrogate locationsprior to and/or during execution of tissue surgical manipulations. 20.The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configuredto provide visual, aural and/or tactile feedbacks including vibrationand/or buzzing alerts.
 21. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprisinga display for displaying the processed images and/or means forprojecting the processed images onto the intraoperative field of view.22. A probe for intraoperative nerve identification and/or visualizationof a target of interest of a living subject, comprising: a lightdelivering means coupled with a light source for delivering a beam oflight emitted from the light source onto a target of interest so as toilluminate the target of interest therewith; a light collecting meanspositioned over the target of interest for collecting light from theilluminated target of interest responsive to the illumination; and animaging means positioned over the target of interest coupled with thelight collecting means for acquiring polarized diffuse reflectancespectral (DRS) images of light from the illuminated target of interestresponsive to the illumination, for identifying and/or visualizing oneor more nerves in the target of interest.
 23. The probe of claim 22,wherein the light source is a built-in broadband light source or anexternal broadband light source for emitting the beam of light in awavelength range of about 100-1200 nm.
 24. The probe of claim 22,wherein the beam of light emitted from the light source is polarizedeither inherently or through polarizers with variable axes oftransmission delivered to the target of interest.
 25. The probe of claim22, wherein the light delivering means comprises one or more fibers andis configured such that light delivered onto the target of interest fromat least one of the one or more fibers is unpolarized light; or lightdelivered onto the target of interest from at least one of the one ormore fibers is polarized light having fixed and/or variablepolarizations; or light delivered onto the target of interest from oneof the one or more fibers is unpolarized light and light delivered ontothe target of interest from the others of the one or more fibers ispolarized light having fixed and/or variable polarizations.
 26. Theprobe of claim 22, wherein the light delivering means comprises one ormore lenses configured to deliver the beam of light emitted from thelight source onto the target of interest.
 27. The probe of claim 26,wherein the light delivering means further comprises one or more waveplates configured to polarize the beam of light emitted from the lightsource in polarized light having fixed and/or variable polarizations.28. The probe of claim 22, wherein the light collecting means comprises:a tunable filter for collecting light from the illuminated target ofinterest; and a lens positioned for focusing the collected light to theimaging means.
 29. The probe of claim 28, wherein the tunable filter isan optical filter that uses electronically controlled liquid crystal(LC) elements to transmit a selectable wavelength of light and excludeothers, with fixed and/or variable polarizations.
 30. The probe of claim29, wherein the LC elements comprise switchable LC wave plates.
 31. Theprobe of claim 28, wherein the tunable filter is a dispersion basedfilter that produces a spatially distributed continuous wavelengthspectrum that is operably sampled for wavelengths including selectingwavelengths, not restricted to individual but also extending to aselection of a full wavelength spread spectrum.
 32. The probe of claim28, wherein the tunable filter comprises variable spectral bandpassfilters, variable polarization filters, or a combination thereof. 33.The probe of claim 28, wherein the lens is an adjustable focus lens. 34.The probe of claim 28, wherein the light collecting means furthercomprises one or more lenses positioned between the target of theinterest and the tunable filter for focusing the light from theilluminated target of interest to the tunable filter.
 35. The probe ofclaim 28, wherein the light collecting means further comprises one ormore fibers each having one end coupled to the tunable filter and anopposite, working end operably positioned proximate to the target ofinterest to collect the light from the illuminated target of interest tothe tunable filter.
 36. The probe of claim 22, wherein the imaging meanscomprises a detector acquiring the DRS images.
 37. The probe of claim36, wherein the detector comprises at least one camera.
 38. The probe ofclaim 37, wherein the at least one camera comprises at least onecharge-coupled device (CCD) camera, at least one complementary metaloxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera, at least one photosensor array, or acombination thereof.
 39. The probe of claim 37, wherein the at least onecamera comprises at least one infrared camera and/or at least onenear-infrared (NIR) camera.
 40. The probe of claim 36, wherein the lightsource is operably modulated by a lock-in scheme or atransistor-transistor logic (TTL) trigger for providing a trigger tosequence and/or initiate data collection for enabling operations of thedetector in normal and/or external lighting conditions including roomlights.
 41. The probe of claim 22, further comprising a controllerconfigured to coordinately operate the light delivering means to deliverthe beam of light onto the target of interest, the light collectingmeans to collect the light from the illuminated target of interest, andthe imaging means to acquire the DRS images of the light from theilluminated target of interest, to receive the acquired images from thedetector imaging means, and to process the acquired images to identifyand visualize nerve in the target of interest.
 42. The probe of claim41, wherein the controller is further configured to provide, based onthe processed images, an aural or tactile nerve proximity indicationthat allows a surgeon to spatially and manually interrogate locationsprior to and/or during execution of tissue surgical manipulations. 43.The probe of claim 42, wherein the controller is further configured toprovide visual, aural and/or tactile feedbacks including vibrationand/or buzzing alerts.
 44. The probe of claim 41, further comprising adisplay for displaying the processed images and/or means for projectingthe processed images onto the intraoperative field of view.
 45. Theprobe of claim 22, being a handheld probe.
 46. A method forintraoperative nerve identification and/or visualization of a target ofinterest of a living subject, comprising: delivering a beam of lightonto a target of interest so as to illuminate the target of interesttherewith; acquiring polarized diffuse reflectance spectral (DRS) imagesof light from the illuminated target of interest responsive to theillumination; and processing the acquired DRS images to identify andvisualize nerve in the target of interest.
 47. The method of claim 46,wherein the beam of light delivered onto the target of interest is in awavelength range of about 100-1200 nm.
 48. The method of claim 46,wherein the beam of light delivered onto the target of interest isunpolarized light, polarized light with fixed and/or variablepolarizations, or a combination thereof.
 49. The method of claim 46,wherein the acquiring step further comprises: selectively transmitting awavelength of the light from the illuminated target of interest;acquiring a DRS image of the transmitted light; and repeating thetransmitting step and the acquiring step over a predetermined wavelengthrange with a predefined resolution.
 50. The method of claim 49, whereinthe predetermined wavelength range is from about 200 nm to about 1000nm, and the predefined resolution is about 1 nm, about nm, about 3 nm,about 4 nm, about 5 nm, or 6 nm.
 51. The method of claim 49, wherein theacquiring step further comprises filtering the light from theilluminated target of interest with polarizers so that the light ispolarized with fixed and/or variable polarizations.
 52. The method ofclaim 46, wherein the acquiring step comprises acquiring backgroundimages without delivering the beam of light onto the target of interestbefore acquiring images of the illuminated target of interest, and theprocessing step comprises subtracting the background images from theacquired images of the illuminated target of interest.
 53. The method ofclaim 46, wherein the processing step comprises identifying spectralmarkers from spectra averaged spectra of the plurality of livingsubjects for each tissue type, wherein each spectral marker at awavelength provides a statistically significant difference andbiological justification for a corresponding type of tissue, and whereinthe averaged spectra for each tissue type are normalized to a peak atabout 690 nm, or a wavelength of significance.
 54. The method of claim53, wherein the processing step further comprises comparing intensityratios between the wavelengths of the spectral markers and the peakwavelength at about 690 nm, or a wavelength of significance, todifferentiate tissue types; classifying tissues based on thresholds ofthe intensity ratios; and mapping, using the thresholds, the tissuedistribution across the DRS images on a pixel by pixel basis.
 55. Themethod of claim 54, further comprising displaying the tissuedistribution across the DRS images and/or projecting the tissuedistribution onto the intraoperative field of view so as to enableintraoperative identification and/or visualization of one or more nervesin the target of interest.
 56. The method of claim 46, furthercomprising providing a trigger to sequence and/or initiate datacollection for enabling the acquiring operation in normal and/orexternal lighting conditions including room lights.
 57. A non-transitorytangible computer-readable medium storing instructions which, whenexecuted by one or more processors, cause the method of claim 46 to beperformed.
 58. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium ofclaim 57, wherein the acquiring step further comprises: selectivelytransmitting a wavelength of the light from the illuminated target ofinterest; acquiring a DRS image of the transmitted light; and repeatingthe transmitting step and the acquiring step over a predeterminedwavelength range with a predefined resolution.
 59. The non-transitorytangible computer-readable medium of claim 58, wherein the acquiringstep further comprises filtering the light from the illuminated targetof interest with polarizers so that the light is polarized with fixedand/or variable polarizations.
 60. The non-transitory tangiblecomputer-readable medium of claim 57, wherein the acquiring stepcomprises acquiring background images without delivering the beam oflight onto the target of interest before acquiring images of theilluminated target of interest, and the processing step comprisessubtracting the background images from the acquired images of theilluminated target of interest.
 61. The non-transitory tangiblecomputer-readable medium of claim 57, wherein the processing stepcomprises identifying spectral markers from spectra averaged spectra ofthe plurality of living subjects for each tissue type, wherein eachspectral marker at a wavelength provides a statistically significantdifference and biological justification for a corresponding type oftissue, and wherein the averaged spectra for each tissue type arenormalized to a peak at about 690 nm, or some other wavelength ofsignificance.
 62. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable mediumof claim 61, wherein the processing step further comprises comparingintensity ratios between the wavelengths of the spectral markers and thepeak wavelength at about 690 nm, or a wavelength of significance, todifferentiate tissue types; classifying tissues based on thresholds ofthe intensity ratios; and mapping, using the thresholds, the tissuedistribution across the DRS images on a pixel by pixel basis.
 63. Thenon-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 62, whereinthe method further comprises displaying the tissue distribution acrossthe DRS images and/or projecting the tissue distribution onto theintraoperative field of view so as to intraoperative identificationand/or visualization of one or more nerves in the target of interest.64. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 57,wherein the method further comprises providing a trigger to sequenceand/or initiate data collection for enabling the acquiring operation innormal and/or external lighting conditions including room lights.